Delray Gets A Sneak Peak

Planners Offer Redevelopment Ideas For City

Delray Beach — A historic village, new roads connecting Federal Highway to Northeast Seventh Avenue and beachfront stores along State Road A1A could all be part of the city's future. .

The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council presented recommendations Tuesday for the redevelopment of Hotel Vista Del Mar, Atlantic Plaza and South Swinton Avenue -- areas considered ripe for redevelopment -- after a monthlong study of the city that included public workshops.

More than 60 people crowded the conference room at City Hall, spilling out the doorways and crouching on the floor to hear the planning council's suggestions, which were made at the City Commission's request. The city hired the planning council for about $42,500 and will use the suggestions when considering future proposals for the city.

Marcela Camblor, an urban design coordinator for the planning council, and Dana Little, a city planner, first unveiled a plan for Hotel Vista Del Mar on State Road A1A. The City Commission has twice rejected a plan to redevelop the property into a 70-room boutique hotel.

The planning council recommends letting the developer build a four-story hotel with 51 rooms and 1,365 square feet of street-level retail space that ideally would be used by a beach-type store. The planning council also suggested having two pools, 43 parking spaces and ample space between neighboring buildings.

Camblor next introduced a proposal for Atlantic Plaza, 777 E. Atlantic Ave. The controversy surrounding plans for the plaza late last year is what pushed city officials to hire the planning council.

The planners recommended that the developer build numerous three- and four-story mixed-use buildings at the site next to Veterans Park. The planning council suggested 22 townhouses, 162 condominiums and 71,250 square feet of retail space. One of the features would be a strip of landscaped land, perpendicular to Northeast Seventh Avenue, that would open to Veterans Park. The planning council also recommended that two roadways be built west from Northeast Seventh Avenue to Federal Highway to improve traffic flow.

Camblor then presented a proposal for historic South Swinton Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Southwest First Street. The plan calls for preserving 20 historic buildings, including relocating five of them to Swinton Avenue to create a "historical village" atmosphere.

Erika Slife can be reached at eslife@sun-sentinel.com or at 561-243-6690.